Research and sketches

Riot Laugh

I usually don't like uploading until illustrations are published (even if it is for my own magazine), but I can't find anything else I've scanned at the moment.

You can find this one in Instigatorzine 9.

www.instigatorzine.com

100: Retribution

Hi. So, my initial plan for my 100th post here was a special illustration of either Dexter, Firefly or Caution, my own personal project. I started thinking of a kind of mash-up with the three groups, but then it started to get out of control. While I'm still planning some kind of special illustration, for now, I present to you how I worked through an Instigatorzine spot illustration for a short story by Robert Jason Clark, called "Retribution."

First up! Pencils. Not actually first up. I went through, maybe, five pages of thumbs trying to get something interesting. This first drawing, which is actually the last in the story, took forever for me to figure out.

For Retribution, I decided to do something different from the usual brush and ink finish. This might look like ink here, but it's really grease pencil (Chinese marker or whatever) on acetate.

'Cause paper don't shine like this.

Invisible.

Usually, if one chooses to use this method, the image underneath the transparency is fully rendered and realized. Here, I just blocked in some colors to save time.

And here are the finishes.

I was inspired by a post on the Today's Inspiration blog, featuring Bob Peak. It quoted him using grease crayons on acetate. It was an interesting concept. Probably try to work with it some more.

Maybe at the next landmark-numbered blogpost, I'll be prepared with something special.

Via Gurney Journey: How Ink is Made

Gurney Journey: How Ink is Made: "This eight-minute documentary shows how they make commercial printing ink. The colors and textures are so delicious that you’ll want to eat..."

Taking a break (Be Your Own Pet)

I needed a break from doing homework, magazine and "client" work, so I decided to draw something relevant to what I was listening to: Be Your Own Pet.

I first discovered Be Your Own Pet when Stephanie Herrera burned me, "Get Awkward," BYOP's second and final album. It's very good, and you should probably spend your drawing time with this as BGM.

Here's Jemina Pearl (former frontwoman of BYOP) rocking out.

And here's the reference: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/50/116442283_0304f6d7aa.jpg

Did this on Yupo watercolor paper. Pretty neat.

This seems like something I could revisit one day, perhaps at a different angle, so I can make the drawing mine, and not just a riff from a photo.

Achievement Unlocked: Coloring in Photoshop

Achievement Unlocked: Coloring in Photoshop


Peers have instructed me how to color in photoshop without messing your inks or lines, but the process never clicked with me. Until today.

Facepalm: me (for not understanding it; it's so simple.)
Thanks: Jared Reyes for visually showing me.

Blow'd Up

Crazy night at the Society of Illustrators in NY on September 10, 2010. Tomer Hanuka, Yuko Shimizu and Sam Weber were all featured in an exhibition called BLOW UP. I only realized why it was called Blow Up when I got there.

One, the place probably could have blown up, since the amount of people in there made it hot enough to start a fire from all the friction. Two, each of the artists' selection of paintings and drawings were "blown up" to be larger than life. It's a really neat sight, considering that most of these illustrations are only seen in magazines, where the biggest image you might glance is no larger than 8.5x11. It's really cool to see each illustrators' work this large.

The basement floor of the Museum of American Illustration displayed some of the illustrators' sketches and preliminary processes when it comes to composing such wonderful images. Also exhibited was Weber's, Shimizu's and Hanuka's sketchbooks, tools and references. I think I liked that part the most. Seeing all the steps necessary to create something that seems so flawless and inventive. (And seeing that "wonderfulness" doesn't appear out of nowhere is reaffirming.)

While the Air Force exhibition was upstairs, and it was considerably more comfortable, temperature-wise, it was not as populated as the event on the main gallery floors. The art upstairs was just as excellent as the stuff on the walls on the first floor. I appreciated it. Both exhibitions provided me with the same amount of inspiration. That's all I can say.

The one thing I noticed when it came to the three illustrators featured in Blow Up is Hanuka's larger-than-life prints. They didn't necessarily translate as well to a larger size, compared to the smaller sized environments in magazines and other editorials.

At the end of the night, or by the time that I had to go, I wish I could have seen more. Or maybe just spent more time with the prints. Maybe I'll go to a Sketch Night @SI sometime soon. Anyone up for it?

Spare Me.

Sketching for once.

Believe it.

Closing Statement

Magpies screaming.

Elk Tribute

I had a friend once.

He was an interesting person to say the least. He wasn't on the wagon, and he introduced me to some really great music. His artwork motivated me not to draw something that I'm not. He was into animals and nature. Maybe skateboarding, too. I was never to sure about that, to be honest. He was friends with everyone. He was friends with me. He passed away last year.

I painted this for him today.

His name is Jared Martin, and I miss him.